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Filter Bubbles and "my" church

When was the last time you worshipped with other believers.  Wait, but I mean not at "your" church?  I mean when was the last time you joined believers outside of your congregation and fully engaged in worship in their Sunday morning worship gathering?"


Why does it matter?


Watch this 9 minute video, and then we'll talk.  http://on.ted.com/9Bfd

"As web companies strive to tailor their services (including news and search results) to our personal tastes, there's a dangerous unintended consequence: We get trapped in a "filter bubble" and don't get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview. Eli Pariser argues powerfully that this will ultimately prove to be bad for us..."

The search engines that "tailor" [read: filter] what we see.

The effect of the "filter bubble" that homogenizes what we see.

How it should be, so that we see the full picture.

What if we would apply the idea of "filter bubbles" to our experience at "our" church. The [capital C] Church is much bigger than "your" church. But so often, we only see how we do church.  And I believe that if we only get to see and experience one tiny, tiny segment of the Church, we will neither see her full beauty nor have an accurate and appropriate perspective of who she really is.


I have a different experience and therefore perspective than most. I do have a home church, but I am in other congregations about twice a month on Sundays and partner  with over 25 distinct congregations each year, seeing not only their Sunday morning gatherings, but, with my ALL-ACCESS, behind the scenes pass, I get to see their inner workings and culture as I coach their leadership.


And I know, I know, "your" church is great and it has everything you've ever wanted, but...


When was the last time you experienced...

• the richness of a Presbyterian liturgy?
• the freedom of an informal house church?
• the artistry of a seeker church?
• the fire of a pentecostal church?
• the intellect of a United Methodist church?
• the simplicity of a Mennonite church?
• the passion of a "river" church?
• the funky, hand-shaking groove of a black church?
• the community of a...community church?
• the "Word power" of a Bible church?
• the open-invitation tribe at a Mosaic church?
• the diversity of a multi-cultural church?
• the flat out rock n' roll of a big church?
• the newness of a church plant?
• the history of a 250 year-old church?
• the calisthenics of a portable church?
• the familiarity of "your" church?
• the awkwardness of a traditional church doing contemporary music?  [sorry, I just had to throw that one in there!]

Does that make you want to get out there and experience something beyond the "filter bubble" that your current perspective gives you?  I'd love your comments with further descriptions of your experiences...


And if you're wondering why I keep putting references of "your" church in quotes, I'm trying to correct the perception that we have a church.  See we ARE the Church.  Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that "I will build my church."  I get that you want to call your local congregation "my church" and that's fine.  But what I see over and over as I coach churches is that far too often church goers act like it's their church, make decisions like it's their church, make demands like it's their church...and it's not.  :)  [does that smiley soften it?]


Oh, and if you're a church shopper taking this as a free pass to engage in uncommitted church dating, know this: there is huge joy in being a member one to another of a local congregation, there is great safety in being under Godly authority, and there is a clear command to live in community, be devoted one to another, and to genuinely love each other.  That will never happen if you keep up your fickle ways.  Plug in.


http://adlibmusic.com/

When was the last time...

So...when was the last time you dove in and really worshiped the Lord. I mean without leading anyone else. You weren't preparing for a rehearsal, at a rehearsal, or in a service.  It was just you and the Lover of your soul?

You know how we wish that our church members would worship outside of Sunday mornings so that [among other things] there would be more life and engagement on Sunday mornings? So...what about me?  Do I live that lifestyle?

I'm amazed at the consistent story worship leaders tell me as I coach them...

"I wish I would have more time to grow spiritually"

"I really need to work on my devotional life"

"I'm so frantic by the time I get to rehearsal"

"I feel like I'm leading on empty" ...

Really?  I know.  It's a real "Uh-Oh!" moment.  We, as a team, lead the congregation in worship and help them grow in their relationship with God.  But we, as worship leaders, lead our team.   What would it look like if we showed up at rehearsal and said to our team "I'm your worship leader.  I'm here to help you grow in your relationship with God.  I'm here to shepherd you.  I'm here to help you steward your artistic ability. Oh, and I'm also here to help us play together."

What would it take to be that kind of leader?  I certainly must be marked with the Presence of God.  So what if we took the first 30 minutes of our workday [if we're on staff, or our day if not] and gave it to the Lord as a first fruits offering, spending it with Him?  I've been doing this for the past month as a way of asking myself, "What would happen if I actually spent extra time with the Lord instead of just wishing I would [or checking my email]?"

So today, I listened to IHOP's 24/7 Prayer Room feed as I prayed, then broke out my guitar and played along...pausing the feed to take off on my own song.  Now it's back on as I type this.

Yesterday, I read some inspiring thoughts from Howard Schultz's book Onward and was prompted to sow into some younger leaders.  He quotes "I want to pass on to others, to younger folk, the taste of..." and that was all it took for God to begin spinning specific thoughts of who and how to pour my heart into.

The day before, I read from Gazelles, Baby Steps, and 37 other things Dave Ramsey taught me about debt by Jon Acuff where the Lord highlighted the phrase "I wouldn't begin a marathon five miles from the starting line" that really encouraged me to eat better in my quest to lose weight.  And then as I continued to listen to God's voice as I read from the book "Worldliness" by C. J. Mahaney, and this really popped out: "Glorifying God is an intentional pursuit. We don't accidentally drift into holiness; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time. In the Christian walk, we can't just step onto the right path and figure all is well. Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey consisting of a series of countless steps. Each step matters..."

The day before that, I listened and prayed while I drove before dawn [to a 6 AM meeting an hour from home].  Bill Johnson from Bethel was preaching about Hezekiah in a sermon from April 10th called "The Responsibility of Blessing" and he said "Hezekiah lost it when he stopped increasing the sacrifice [worship] to be more than the measure of the blessing. What was difficult yesterday has become normal today. And the challenge is when we become satisfied with what has become normal and we stop sacrificing and breaking into new ground.  We stop giving that which costs me something."

Help us, Lord.  We need You everyday.  So let's do it.  Everyday!  Because we're sons and daughters.  Because we're well pleasing to the Lord. [not to earn that status]

So here's an invitation to go along with the challenge above. I'd seriously love to connect with you sometime and worship.  Break out a couple of guitars and go for it.  Okay, we can do pianos too...they just require much heavier lifting.  But seriously, over Skype or in person, I'm in. Don't think I'm kidding or speaking in hyperbole.  Let's get it in the calendar.

...in simple love and pure devotion to Jesus, we're eradicating isolation and burnout so that leaders bear much fruit!


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What REALLY causes the “not enough musicians” syndrome?

So, are you trying to figure out how to add more musicians to your teams?  "We just don't have any in our church."  Really?  The super-common problem of “We just don’t have enough musicians” seems to have a simple cause, but let’s look deeper.  What might REALLY be causing the shortage?

Here are 10 causes for a lack of musicians: [I’ll include both singers and instrumentalists when referring to “musicians” here.]

1.     Musicians attract musicians [perhaps there’s just not critical mass – not a talent issue, just a sheer lack of numbers]

2.     A bad sound mix [when certain musicians aren’t heard in the mix, this causes potential musicians to say “Why would I want to play or sing if I might not even be heard?”]

3.     There is no perceived need for more musicians [does your talented worship leader fill in all the missing gaps so the congregation never feels the pain of the need OR do you ever ask for more musicians – either by announcement, special event, or shoulder-tap?  And do I smell burnout?]

4.     Insecure musicians [potential musicians don’t feel that they have the necessary talent to play or sing with the band]

5.     There is a negative or closed band culture [it doesn’t look like the band is enjoying serving together OR the relationships are so tight that they feel exclusive or like a clique]

6.     There is no mentoring [there’s no way to ease into playing, no culture of co-leading, no “backup, unamplified second keyboard or guitar” and there’s no training to get new musicians up to speed]

7.     There are no non-rehearsal or non-performance gatherings [are the only playing opportunities at rehearsals and services?  There are no monthly or quarterly gatherings to play and experiment with different musicians and different combinations of bands without the pressure of preparing for or playing in a service?]

8.     Different or New vision [sometimes a worship leader’s vision for style (which dictates band makeup) is different than the senior pastor’s or perhaps it’s just new to the church and they don’t know that their accordion, I mean, electric guitar has a place in the band]

9.     Minimal performance space [your stage is full or the way you are set up makes it feel like there’s no room for anyone to join]

10.  Too many hoops to join or unclear expectations [What happens when a potential musician expresses interest in serving?  Is your process cumbersome, unclear, lengthy, daunting, or nonexistent? People like to be a part of something well organized.  How many embers of hope never became flames of service because of an inefficient process?]

So, now that you see some of the “hidden” reasons that you don’t have enough musicians, here are some solutions for each:

1.     Invite musician friends that you have from outside your church to help.  Cross-pollinating is great for your church and the musicians visiting.  It creates more of a felt need once people enjoy the energy of the drums or the fullness of a keyboard.  Also, quality attracts quality [you are what you attract – gulp!] so invest in yourself and in your team.  Get lessons, work hard, be students of your craft, grow!

2.     Train you tech arts crew to be musical in their mixing.  Teach them how songs are built, how and why you arrange songs like you do, and how to create a mix that supports the intended result.

3.     Let certain roles go unfilled sometimes…create the need.  And when you do, it would be a great week to intentionally make an announcement that makes the opportunity to serve known [without sounding desperate!]  Remember to use all available media – live, bulletin, e-bulletin, website, etc.  Also, keep you ears open and invite the people who may be interested – never underestimate the power of the shoulder-tap!

4.     Each church has [whether written or not] a ground floor for what is acceptable quality level for weekend worship gatherings.  But make sure you communicate that excellence [doing your personal best] is the requirement, not being perfect.  You might also help less-experienced musicians serve in lower-pressure environments like children’s church, small groups, youth group, or midweek meetings.  They can provide wonderful training ground where confidence can grow.

5.     When a band is enjoying each other as they play, you can totally feel it!  Work hard, be diligent, flow together, but don’t take yourselves so da’gum seriously!  “Be excellent at what is good, be innocent of perfection.”  [oh snap, he didn’t just paraphrase it that way, did he?!]  I know that sometimes, when you are concentrating on what you’re playing, you can have a serious look or scowl on your face, but try to remember what you’re singing about and Who you’re singing to.  God cancelled His frown toward you when you said yes to Him…reflect His smile!  Also, when you have [or potentially have] someone new, go the extra mile to be interested, welcoming, genuine, and considerate.  Help breakdown the certain apprehension that a new musician has.  And share food, experiences, and honest moments with each other.  Be a community.

6.     Establish a culture of training, of opportunity, of team.  Regularly offer musical training for your musicians.  Always look for ways to be raising up new leaders and musicians.  Have your background singers lead songs, have your electric guitar player start off a song, and bring a duplicate musician on stage unplugged just to build their confidence.  Work hard not to be a “one man show” – empower musicians on your team to have important musical [solo, lead, arrangement, etc.] and non-musical [prayer, scripture reading, administrative, etc.] responsibilities.

7.     Call it a Jam Session, a Worship Jam, Zamar [instrumental worship] Night, or “And the Kitchen Sink” but you’ve gotta have times when your current and potential new musicians can play and experiment with different musicians and different combinations of bands without the pressure of preparing for or playing in a service.  There is just a different level of creativity when you take that pressure away.  And it’s a great way to get to know new musicians without having to formally audition them [shhhhh…I know!] in an artificial environment.

8.     It’s super important for your team to be able to articulate your senior pastor’s vision for the weekend worship gatherings.  There are so many decisions that must flow from this vision.  If you’re playing modern worship songs [think Chris Tomlin, Hillsongs, Passion, etc.], I believe it’s nearly impossible to consistently lead worship encounters with the LORD without energy in the music – especially in the “up” songs.  [energy and volume are related, but are not the same] Once you decide to do a certain kind of song, there are requirements for it to actually “work” and certain instruments and a certain sound mix are needed.

9.     It might be a good idea to clear the stage [at least in your mind’s eye] and make sure they you’re using your space most effectively.  Did you just keep adding instruments without a comprehensive plan?  Can everyone see each other?  Do you look cramped?  Are you using stands with a tripod base in a small area?  Ever lead from behind a wooden choir “wall” while the piano soundboard [that also separates you from the congregation] blares into your face?  Well, sometimes you have to challenge tradition in order to move forward.  I know, I know, you feel the feathers ruffling already, and that’s okay.  You’re in a community, so it’s way-important to take your people along with you, but don’t let their comfort stand in the way of the building on God’s Kingdom [He doesn’t in your life, does He?]  Do what it takes to use the space so that your band feels comfortable playing and so that the congregation doesn’t mistake you for sardines.

10.  It’s important to have a clear, well-organized process that minimizes wait time [read: keeps momentum alive], yet allows for accountability, common guidelines, and verbalized expectations.  It’s fine to have a 6 month process before a new musician can serve, but it’s not okay for the process to take 3 months before it begins.  Make it easy to serve.  Sure you have requirements, but remove any unnecessary roadblocks.

So now it's your turn.  What surprised you on this list?  What will you do as a result of what you learned?  Share your thoughts!


http://adlibmusic.com/

Dissatisfaction - friend or foe?

Perhaps the reason that growth is slow or difficult in churches is that we’re so consumed with keeping people happy and satisfied, that we never have enough dissatisfaction to tip the scales for growth to happen.  Guarded as I am of “formulas,” I know this one to be true.  The formula for growth is simply this: Dissatisfaction plus Vision plus First Steps has to be greater than Resistance to change, or in clever symbolism: D + V + F > R.  Why do you care?

How disappointing it is when you put all this work into a project, only to have it fall flat, or cease as soon as you’re not giving your full energies to it.  We get tired of trying to implement a cultural change in our church, only to find resentment or pushback awaiting us.  We tell our people all the right, new, inspired plans and ideas we have, only to see their uninspired response: “oh.”  We go to “the conference to end all conferences” and hear these great ideas and are personally inspired, wanting desperately to share the experience [and its effect] with our team, but…I guess they had to be there…

But…

Have you ever suggested something, a God-idea, an undisclosed passion, or a passing brainstorm, and people picked up with it and ran!  Can you imagine actually changing the part of your church’s existing culture [the one you’re convinced is keeping you from God’s best]?  Do you suggest big projects and your team volunteers to take parts of it on without even being asked?  Does the congregation lead YOU in worship?

Take the formula for growth [D + V + F > R] and write it on your notepad before every committee meeting.  Write it on a sticky note and paste it on your computer screen at the beginning of every day.  Think through it and how you need to apply it every time you are helping someone move forward.  Look at your own ministry, and check it against the formula, asking yourself what part [D, V, or F] was missing or insufficient in the latest change you felt called to implement – then formulate a plan to boost that part.

See, here’s how it works.  You might have one part – you don’t like something, or feel this sense of there being more.  You might have clear, inspired vision for what something could become.  You may have great, concrete ideas for implementing the plan.  But if you don’t have all three components [and their sum doesn’t outweigh whatever is resisting the change] you won’t grow.

That’s why dissatisfaction can be your friend.  It’s one of the necessary ingredients to experience growth.  The opposite of dissatisfaction is…satisfaction or complacent.  The definition of “complacent: pleased, esp. with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some [check this] potential danger or defect.”

Here are a few quotes that may get you and your team in touch with their dissatisfaction.

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms.”

Colin Powell, American statesman and retired four-star general in the United States Army

“This is just the first step on a long way. We cannot lean back and be complacent.”

Wolfgang Bernhard, Senior Executive Vice President at Mercedes-Benz

“There has been a level of complacency that has helped the epidemic spread.”

Deborah Levine, American TV writer and director

“Complacency is our worst enemy.”

Mike Apicello, United States Department of Agriculture

“We don't want to get complacent. We want to continue to push. We have a long list of improvements to make.”

Lawrence Frank, fired NBA head coach for the New Jersey Nets

“We're working awful hard. We had gotten kind of complacent. No more going half speed.”

Jason Montgomery, Head Coach for New Highland Cavalier women’s basketball

“We've lost a lot of ground. We've gotten complacent.”

Clarence Graham, someone’s son

“Complacent satisfaction is the killer of dreams.”

Kim Booher, Author The Emergence of Love Leadership

“The complacency of fools will destroy them”

King Solomon, Smartest man on the planet [from Proverbs 1:32]

[And did you notice that I tried telling you about this amazing formula using the formula itself?  In the paragraph starting with “How disappointing it is…” I tried to get you in touch with experiences where you’re dissatisfied.  Then I begin to cast vision with “Have you ever suggested something…” and then I ended with some practical, concrete steps to “Take the formula for growth…”  Question is…was it enough to overcome your resistance to change?]


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Highways to Zion

I was having a conversation with a worship team last week about how we connect with the Lord through worshiping together. And I started describing my own process in getting through when stuff tries to block me from God at a heart level. I thought about this...

How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.  [Psalm 84:5 NASV]

My heart is a smooth, wide, fast road to God.

The Heart of the Matter

If I'm not connecting to the Lord through the song because I don't like the song, my heart is a highway to Zion.

If the singers are out of tune, my heart is a highway to Zion.

If the bass player and drummer don't seem to be playing the same song, my heart is a highway to Zion.

If I am stressed out about whatever, my heart is a highway to Zion.

What's the Journey Like?

I have learned the path to get there quickly. I don't have to survey the land and chop through the underbrush.  

I've walked the path over and over...

and now there is a foot path worn through on the way to God's presence. 

I kept walking that path until it got broader and smoother.

 Then, somehow, this long, winding road to God became this short, wide, blacktop highway with bright white lines taking me straight to Him.

No stop lights.

No toll booths.

No traffic [there's never any traffic on this highway!], just drive.

Boom, I'm there...Zion...God in full view!

So...what does your heart highway look like?

And really, why would I go to such lengths to find so many different highway pictures? Truth is, I really want you to have one you can use to imagine your own highway! Can you see it?

Isaiah 62:10 [MSG]

"Walk out of the gates. Get going! Get the road ready for the people.

Build the highway. Get at it! Clear the debris, hoist high a flag, a signal to all peoples!"

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